Finger Paint
by bestusernameever
Summary: Fang has found Max two years after her disappearance. What else should he find when he finds her? And how will Max explain her son, Hayden? R
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I do not own Maximum Ride.**

**Story takes place two years after MAX.**

**enjoy!**

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**Fang POV**

She was doing the dishes when I looked in the window. Her light, sandy brown hair was swept up in a messy ponytail. Her beautiful brown eyes had slight bags underneath them. Man, I missed her.

She finished the last pot and shook her hands dry. She cleaned off the counter with a wipe and picked up a… a Sippy cup? Huh, weird. She put it in the sink and walked out of the kitchen. I couldn't see her now.

I was perched in a tree next to her house. The idea of her having her own house was strange. I quietly crawled off my branch, looking for a window where I could see her again. _Nice, Fang. Now you're a stalker._

I found a window that shown into the living room. She was on the couch watching TV. I was now on a much weaker limb of a tree. Just then, I saw something move next to her. I looked a little closer…

"No." I said it out loud without thinking. She heard me. She went in to protection mode and cradled what was next to her.

It was a child, a little boy. My Max, Maximum Ride, once leader of the flock, was holding this child like it was her own.

I gasped as she squinted her eyes to see. I lost my grip and footing on the branch and noticed the earth hurdling toward me. I hit the ground, too shocked to have opened my wings. I felt a sharp pain in my right wing. Then it all went black.

**Max POV**

I was almost done with the dishes now. Hayden had found out that if her flipped all my good pots over, he could make a drum set. He spent the entire day hitting the pots and pans and laughing after every noise. It was loud and annoying, but I let him play. I just love that boy's laugh, mostly his smile.

I sighed. His smile, he had his father's smile.

I heard a twitch from the tree outside the window over the sink. I paused for a second, but didn't hear anything else so I regarded it.

I finished washing the last of Hayden's drum set. I washed off the rest of the counter and put the last bottle in the sink for tomorrow.

I was utterly exhausted. Though I loved it more that almost anything, being a mom is hard. Hayden was on the armchair in the living room. He was fighting to stay awake. I scooped him up and sat on the couch. I let him fall asleep on my chest.

I was zoning out myself when I heard a noise outside.

"No." it was a faint whisper that sounded way too familiar for my comfort.

Erasers! I thought right away. My hands rushed to my son. I glared out the window, waiting for something to happen. Nothing. I squinted my eyes. I saw a slight silhouette fall from a tree and hit the ground. Hayden opened his eyes and looked up at me.

"Mommy?" he sounded scared. It was okay that he was. He was barely two. He had my hair and so far, my attitude. Of the very few words he knew, 'no' and 'yeah, yeah' were his favorite.

"It's okay, baby." I said, picking him up and supporting him on my hip.

"'m sleepy." He slurred, resting his head on my shoulder.

I patted his back and brought him to his room, tucking him in his crib.

I went back to the living room and jumped out the window. I saw what fell out of the tree. I crotched over it, him. It was a boy, no older than me. His hair was black and he had tan skin and… and, my hands moved over his back, _wings?_

I quickly flipped him over to see his face. I looked at him; complete sock ran through my body. It was a face I knew too well.

Fang.

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**Rview! tell me what you think! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Still dont own Maximum Ride. :(**

**Chapter 2!**

**FANG POV**

I woke up on a couch. My right wing hurt like hell. I couldn't remember what had happened. I sat up, wincing in pain as I stretched my back. I looked around the small living room.

There were toys on the coffee table; Hot Wheels, fat Lego's, and a Buzz Light-year toy. There was a coffee mug on the side table and a drawing on the wall next to the TV.

I got up slowly and looked at the drawing. There we two stick figures, obviously drawn by a very young child. The figures were holding hands, my guess a mother and child. I took a step closer and noticed something about them; they had wings or what was supposed to be wings.

"Who you?" A small voice said from behind me. I spun around and say a little boy in blue footie pajamas in the door way. It was the boy I saw last night…

Then I hit me, I was in Max's house. Crap, I didn't want her to know I was here. Well, that plan was ruined.

"Uh, hi." I said to the little boy. He rubbed his fist against his eye. He just stared blankly at me.

"'m hungry." He said after a pause. He ran past me in to the kitchen. "Mommy, I'm hun-" he paused and came back out to me in the living room. "My mommy's not in dare."

"Where is your mommy?" I asked him. Where did Max get this kid anyway?

He didn't answer me. He ran to the first door in the hallway. He jumped, trying to reach the doorknob without success. He turned to me, looking annoyed, his lower lip was quivering. I chuckled, he was a cute kid.

I walked over next to him and opened the door. He ran over and jumped on the queen size bed in the center of the room. The lump on the bed moved and groaned when he did this.

"Hayden! What are you doing?" Max asked, rolling over and hugging the boy.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." He complained, hugging her back.

"_Mommy_?" I thought out loud. Max looked up at me, just noticing that I was in the door way.

She gave me a look. One that I couldn't define. For the first time in my life, I didn't know what Max was thinking by the expression on her face. "Hey" she said lightly. "How's your wing?"

I rolled my shoulders. "Fine." I said, studying Hayden.

Max noticed "Well… Fang, this is Hayden. Hayden, this is… a friend of mommy's."

Hayden looked up and smiled at me, as if he'd just seen me for the first time. "Hay, why don't you go watch SpongeBob or something, okay? I'll get your breakfast in a minute." Max told him, climbing out of her bed.

He followed her directions and ran out of the room.

After a long pause, I spoke up. "Max, why did you leave?" she ignored my question.

"He has your eyes and your smile." she said smoothly, staring at the now empty door way.

"What?" I said shocked. How could he…? My eyes…? Hayden. "Max, is he…_mine_?"

She nodded.

"That's why you left?" I asked. "Cause you were pregnant?"

"Yeah." she said in a tiny voice. She focused on her hands on her lap.

I sat down on her bed. My head was in my hands. This must have been one of the hardest things my mind has ever had to grasp. I'm a father. The little boy in the other room is _mine_.

Suddenly, I felt Max's hands on the back of my neck. "I missed you." She whispered in to my ear.

I turned to face her. She looked scared, I guess I did too. "I missed you, too." I told her. She smiled.

"MOMMY!" Hayden yelled… My _son_ yelled from the living room.

"Okay, I'm coming." Max said, getting completely out of bed. She stopped in the door way. "You hungry? I've learned to actually cook." She laughed at herself.

"Yeah." I followed her out to the kitchen where she got out a frying pan and made some eggs for the three of us.

**Hayden POV**

"Hayden, breakfasts ready." Mommy called from the kitchen. I turned off the TV and went to eat.

Mommy's friend guy helped me into my highchair. He wasn't good at it. Mommy had to help him.

When we were eating, Mommy looked at both me and her friend, she laughed.

"What Max?" _Max? _Why would he call mommy that?

"Nothing." Mommy said. "It's just weird to see you two together." She laughed but looked like she was crying a little.

"Mommy, why you crying?" I asked her, eating some egg.

"Mommy's just happy, baby. I'm crying because I'm really happy." She said picking up her plate. "I'm gonna go get dressed. I'll be back in a bit."

When she left, I looked at her friend. He was really tall and he was wearing dark clothes. "What your name?" I asked him.

He paused. Did he forget his own name? "My names Fang. I've known your mommy for a long time."

I nodded and finished my food. Fang? Where have I heard that? Oh, yeah! Those stories Mommy tells me 'bout the kids with wings. She talks about one named Fang most. What if he is that Fang?

"Do you gots wings?" I asked Fang. His eyes got really big. It was funny. I liked him.

He cleared his throat. "Umm, yeah… yes I do. Do you?"

"Yep! Mommy does too."

"I know" he whispered. Is he talking to himself?

Just then Mommy walked in. She picked me up out of my seat. I had to tell her what I found out.

"Mommy, 'member those stories 'bout the kids with wings? Well, dats Fang!" I pointed at him and he smiled. Mommy laughed.

"Yeah, baby. I know." She looked at Fang funny. They both smiled. "I know…" she whispered.

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**Hayden's POV was fun to write. I just had to make him almost completely unaware of everything. lol**

** R&R Tell me what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3!**

**Disclaimer- i no own MR...:(**

**Max POV**

It actually felt normal with Fang here. Hayden really seemed to like him. I would wake up and hear Fang playing with Hayden in his room, Hayden laughing madly and Fang smiling. He did smile a lot lately.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, causing me to come back to reality.

"Nothing really." I gently moved Hayden's head off my lap. "I'm gonna go do the last of the dishes from dinner."

It was almost nine and we had been watching a movie until Hayden fell asleep next to me. It's been almost a week since Fang fell out of the tree in my yard and it was nice with him here.

I walked into the kitchen and turned the water on, testing the temperature. I started cleaning the dishes. It sounds weird, but it's different cleaning three plates instead of two. Fang hopped onto the counter next to me.

He just sat there and watched me. After awhile it got kind of creepy. I looked up at him. "What?"

"You're a great mom, you know that?" He was smiling again.

"How do you figure?" Seriously, he's only known that I had a son for a week now. How am I good at this?

"You gave up everything for him. Just so he didn't have a childhood as bad as ours."

I thought that over. "Yeah, I guess I did give up a lot." I wiped my hands dry. "I didn't want to leave you guys… I didn't want to leave _you_." I said the last part quietly.

Fang jumped off the counter and stood in front of me. He lifted my chin up so I had to look at him. "It's okay Max. You did the right thing."

"Are you sure?" Why do I get all emotional? I hate it when I'm like this.

"I'm positive. Hayden is a smart, happy kid. You did a great job and are still doing a great job." He paused. Now he was getting emotional. "I just wish I could have been with you guys. I love both of you." And with that, his strong arms wrapped around me into a tight hug.

I missed his touch, the feel of his arms around me. I pulled away, wiping my nose against my sleeve. "I, I'm gonna bring Hayden to bed."

I stumbled into the living room and turned off the now unwatched TV. I picked up Hayden, trying not to wake him up, but of course I failed. His eyes fluttered, but he didn't say anything.

I carried him to his room and sat him on the changing table. I changed him into his pajamas and decided that I was gonna ask him about Fang.

"Hay, can I ask you something?" I leaned against the table.

He nodded and rubbed his eyes.

"Okay." I took a deep breath. _How do I explain this?_ "You like Fang, right?"

"Yep."

"And you like him being here, right?"

"Yep" he repeated.

"Would you want Fang to stay here and live with us?"

Hayden's mouth turned into a giant grin. His entire face lit up. "Can he?"

"I guess so." I picked him up and put him in his crib and kissed him goodnight.

In the hallway between the two bedrooms, I stood, just thinking. Do _I _want Fang to stay: yes. Does he deserve to be with his son: totally. Was I gonna keep him away from his son: definitely not. Do I still love him?... I smiled to myself. "Yes." I answered my own question out loud.

I walked back to the living room, hands in the back pockets of my jeans. I saw Fang unfolding a blanket. He has been sleeping on the couch for the time he's been here.

"Hey." I said. I knew he would want to talk some more and truthfully, I just wanted us to be like we were before. Back then we didn't have to talk; we always could tell what the other was thinking. I decided I was gonna try to change it back, but first, there was something we had to do.

"Hey." He looked up from the couch. "Listen, Max, before what I me-" I cut him off, holding my hand up.

"I think we should tell Hayden tomorrow, okay?" I said confidently.

Fang looked at me blankly, blinked a couple of times, and then responded. "Uh, o-okay." He stuttered. "That'll be good."

_Great, _I thought, _he's nervous now._ "Don't worry. Hayden really likes you and he wants you to stay here with us."

"Really?" he seemed to smile a bit.

"Yeah. And I, I want you to stay too." I confessed, sounding guilty. "Will you?"

Fang smiled. His arms wrapped around me and his lips crashed against mine. It felt so right, like we had never been separated. We kissed until we were both out of breath. Just like old times…

When we broke apart, I stared into his dark eyes. I saw…_Happiness? Love?_

Once my breathing was back to normal, I took his hand in mine, "Come on, your sleeping in my room tonight." I dragged him with me as I made off for my bedroom…

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**please review.**

**i feel like i crapped out at the end.**

**thanks for reading. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**WOW!**

**chapter 4!**

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**Hayden POV**

I crawled over the side of my crib. Mommy hated when I did that. I had to be really quiet so she couldn't hear me.

I opened my door real slow and looked down the hall. Mommy's door was closed so she was still sleeping. I creped out of my room and into the living room. Maybe I can wake Fang up so he can play with me?

I got down on my knees and crawled to the side of the couch. I jumped up really quick. "Boo!"

I looked around. Fang wasn't there. Maybe he had to go potty? I turned on the TV and sat on the couch waiting for him to come back.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something rush past the window. Then another, and another, and another. Every time one would go by, there would be a crash from the ground. They looked like people.

I jumped of the couch and ran into Mommy's room. I jumped on her bed and shook her so she would get up.

"Hayden, what is it, what is it?" She said and sat up. Fang sat up next to her. I looked at him funny. Why was he here? I thought he was going potty.

I looked back at mommy. "Things was falling past da window!" I told her. I wanted her to find out what they were.

Suddenly, there was some more noise coming from somewhere outside. Fang got out of bed really fast and was almost out of Mommy's room when Mommy picked me up and followed him.

**Max POV**

What Hayden had told me had truly terrified me. He could have seen anything, anything at all that had come from my past. Much like the last thing to fall past that window: Fang. I grabbed Hayden and followed Fang to the living room.

To tell you the truth I was expecting Erasers, Flyboys, M-geeks, and all of those things, just not what I did see. Instead of seeing a being that wanted to kill me, I saw a tall boy with strawberry hair rushing up to the front door. My mind went blank as I looked past him. Past him, I saw a little girl with blond hair and blue eyes that matched the boy sitting next to her and then an older girl with darker skin and frizzy dark hair.

Fang rushed to the door and opened in to the boy. "What happened? Why are you guys here and what happened to Nudge?" I looked back to the girl and noticed she was clutching her arm and was fighting tears.

I rushed over to the door and handed Hayden to Fang. I moved past them and ran to the flock.

"Nudge!" I screamed, running up to her and then keeling next to her. "What the hell happened?"

"Max! Hi. I can't believe it's you! I've missed you so, so, so, so much! Why did you leave?" She took a breath. "Well, since Fang never came back like he said, we got pretty bored in that cave he made us stay in. This morning we decided we would go look for him and make sure he didn't leave us too. No offence or anything, but you did leave us and all. Anyway, Iggy and Gazzy had invented this new bomb and they were messing with it and arguing about who would carry it. I tried to stop them, but noooo! They don't listen to me. So all in all, the bomb went off and I went down with it."

She held up her arm. "And I landed on my arm like this-"she tried to mimic the landing with her good arm"-and I'm guessing it is broken in a few spots."

I had forgotten how much she talked.

Angel laughed, reading my mind. I turned to her and held my arms out to her and Gazzy. They both rushed over and hugged me.

"I'm sorry I left guys." I told them when we broke apart. "I've got someone who you might want to meet. It will explain a lot when you do." I stood up and helped Nudge do the same.

Fang was holding Hayden and, my guess, explaining our son to Iggy. Hayden looked at me and smiled. He climbed out of Fang's arms and into mine.

"Awwww he is so cute, Max!" Nudge squealed. "Were did you get him?"

I chuckled. "Well... ha-ha, um I didn't 'get' him, I had him." Four sets of bird kid eyes gazed at me. "Guys, this is Hayden, my son."

"Mommy, who are day?" Hayden looked at me questioningly.

"I'll tell you in a minute." I looked up at the flock. "First, Nudge, get your butt inside so I can check your arm." I pointed to the door and she went inside with Gazzy and Angel. "Fang, go get dressed." We were both still in our pajamas. "And Iggy, get in the kitchen and make us some food."

They all did what I told them to and I heard Iggy mutter "And Max is back."

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Hayden was on my lap on the couch with Fang, Nudge was on the armchair with her arm all bandaged up, Gazzy and Angel were on the floor in front of the coffee table and Iggy was leaning on the doorway to the kitchen. I tightened my arms around Hayden in a quick hug before I spoke.

"Okay, first thing first. Hayden, me and Fang have something important to tell you." Fang smiled and scooted closer to us.

"What?" Hayden asked, sounding confused.

Fang looked up at me and I nodded at him to continue. "Well, Hayden, um… I'm your dad." He smiled nervously and looked at me and Hay.

"No way!" Hayden screamed, jumping up and wrapping his arms around Fang's neck. "I knew it!" Fang's arms tightened around his son. It was such a nice moment…

Until Gazzy got up and handed Iggy a twenty.

"I don't know why you would bet against it." Iggy said as he folded the bill in his back pocket.

"I can't believe you guys!" I was only half laughing there. I sighed. "Is breakfast done Ig?"

"Yeah, come eat." He turned and walked back into the kitchen as we followed.

Fang had mastered the art of putting toddlers in highchairs now and did just so. He slid into the seat next to me and hooked his ankle around mine, just like he use to do.

As we ate, I looked around at all the kids packed together at my tiny kitchen table. _This is how it is supposed to be._ I thought.

_Totally!_ Angel agreed in my mind. I looked over at her and smiled.

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**Yeahhh! Review! is it good? is it bad? i dont know! so review!**

**:D kay byes...**


	5. Chapter 5

**On with the 5th chapter!**

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**Nudge POV**

Hayden is the cutest thing ever! He has Max's brownish blonde hair and acts like her most of the time. He has Fang's dark eyes and their smiles look the same. Right now he is sitting on my lap and we are watching TV.

My arm ended up being broken and now Max won't let me get off the couch until its better. Luckily, that will be in about a week so it won't be that long. Anyway, Angel and I are trying to find out if Fang and Max are still together. I mean they should now that Hayden is calling Fang 'daddy'. OMG! It's so cute when he does. Fang's whole face lights up when he hears Hayden say it.

"What's your name?" Hayden asked me, taking his gaze from the TV screen.

"For the tenth time, Hayden, it's Nudge!" I said. This kid can remember everyone's name except mine.

"Oh! I knows that." He smiled and turned back to watch the cartoon we had been watching. It was only a matter of time since he would ask again.

_They've kissed!_ I heard Angel scream in my mind. She came running into the living room from the kitchen with an ice pop in her hand. _Max and Fang are together!_

"Seriously?" I asked her. Hayden's head flipped around at the sudden talking.

"Yeah! Max keeps forgetting to block her thoughts!" Angel giggled and Hayden just looked confused.

"What does Max keep forgetting to do?" Fang asked as he too came from the kitchen. He sat on the arm chair and Hayden scrambled from my lap over to his father's.

"Nothing." I lied. _Details!_ I yelled to Angel in my mind.

"_You _not talking about anything? Nudge, I'm not stupid." He chuckled and looked down at Hayden, deciding he really didn't care about whatever we were talking about.

_Well apparently, they kissed last night. Max still loves Fang and all, but I can't get past Fang. He's getting better at blocking me from stuff in his mind._ Angel told me in my own thoughts.

"Dammit." I mumbled out loud. Fang looked back up at me.

"Hey," he gestured to Hayden in his lap. "Language."

"Yeah, sorry. Hey, what's up with you and Max?" I asked trying to sound innocent.

Fang thought about it. "I don't really know. I'm guessing Angel picked some stuff up from Max's thoughts?" he raised an eye brow looking at Angel.

"Yeah." She said guiltily, finishing her ice pop. "But your blocking me and it's not fair!

Fang laughed. "Yeah, it's totally unfair that I don't want you reading every tid-bit of information that passes my mind just so you can go gossip about it."

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds bad." Angel still sounded guilty.

Fang gave her a look that read 'you scare me child' and looked away.

_I'm going to Max on this one._ I sent Angel via thoughts. _Maybe she will tell me something. I mean seriously, they have their little family now. Well what about us? I don't want to sound mean or anythi-_

"Nudge, just do it! You're giving me a headache!" Angel rubbed her temples.

Fang chuckled. "Serves you right."Angel stuck her tongue out at him.

I sighed. "I don't think and talk that much do I? I mean, yeah, I can go into these little fits where I can just keep going and going and going, but I don't do that much. It seems that I only talk like that when I excited or nervous or happy. And when I do talk, it always about random things that pop into my head. Like, now I can talk nonstop about how cute this house is and that it is so tiny and nice. But it is tiny so how can we stay here? I have to ask Max about that too…"

"Sorry" I said, realizing that I just proved their point.

Hayden looked over at me and smiled. "Um… what was your name again?"

"Augh!" I screamed and marched out of the living room.

**Max POV**

Nudge stormed into the kitchen. "What are you doing up?" I asked her. "I told you to stay on the couch."

"Yeah, I know, but can I talk to you?" she looked over at Iggy and Gazzy who were at the table. "Privately." She added. What would she need to talk about? Wait, what _wouldn't_ she need to talk about? I followed her out of the kitchen.

Fang smiled nervously at me as I walked past the living room and into my room. I closed the door behind us.

"What's up, Nudge?" I asked her, leaning against the wall.

"Well, me and Angel were wondering, what's with you and Fang? I mean, are you guys together still or not?"

"Umm…" I sighed. "I don't really know. Why?"

"You guys totally should be together. Like, for Hayden and all."

"Are you blackmailing me, using my own son?" I accused.

"Possibly." She smiled guiltily. "Here, tonight you and Fang are gonna go out, okay? Iggy and me can hold down the fort 'til you get back."

"Tempting…, but I'll have to ask Fang first."

Nudge held out her arms, gesturing to the door. "Then go." She smiled, knowing that she had won even though I didn't entirely put up a fight.

I shrugged and walked out of the room in one brisk movement. I walked up behind the armchair where fang and Hayden were and leaned over the back of it. "Hey, we're going on a date tonight, okay?"

Fang looked up at me shocked, then at nudge who was still smiling, then to Hayden who, frankly, was totally confused, and then back to me. "Okay…?"

I nodded and smiled and that was that.

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**Review and give me some sort of crazy senerio for the date... :)**

**Thanks **


	6. AUTHOR NOTE

Okay, I know it's been a LONG time, but I promise I will update this weekend. Life's been crazy. Anyway, yeah. This weekend I will add another chapter and it will be much longer that the others.


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